By Emma Krasov. Photography by Yuri Krasov
Of all the great culinary events in Northern California—and there are plenty of them!—two well-attended food festivals stand out for their sheer scope of inspiration and creativity.
The Worlds of Flavor International Conference and Festival in Napa Valley last November, and the Big Sur Foragers Festival this past January attracted celebrity chefs, distinguished wineries and breweries, and big-name food industry sponsors even though the two events’ influence ranged from global in the former to local in the latter.
Roots of Culture, Seas of Discovery: Mediterranean Culinary Tradition, Exchange and Invention in the 21st Century has been the official title of the 27th Annual Worlds of Flavor that brought together star chefs, food producers, and cookbook authors from Italy, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Portugal, Morocco, Iran, and many other countries, including UK and USA, where Mediterranean diet firmly established itself in people’s preferences.
Same as in the years past, the conference, hosted at the spacious and elegant CIA at Copia (The Culinary Institute of America, Napa) served as a professional development opportunity and a resource on the newest trends for the attending chefs and food industry experts. By sharing knowledge, exchanging ideas, and exploring new techniques through the well-organized demos, seminars, and kitchen workshops, top chefs from different countries worked together toward safeguarding for future generations the ever-evolving culinary art of the Mediterranean, nestled in ancient traditions.
In his welcome speech, Robert E. Jones, VP of strategic partnerships, industry leadership, and impact of CIA, New York, said, “We teach not only the craftsmanship, but the art and science of food… We want to build a global culinary empire!”
In the course of three unforgettable days in Napa, the culinary conference generated tons of excitement with wonderful, original presentations, like a book, “Sacred Spaces: Culinary Lessons from Monasteries and Temples Around the World” by Jody Eddy,James Beard-nominated, award-winning author, culinary instructor, and recipe developer, and Chef Marley Brown’s kitchen workshop, “Seasonal Synergy: Reimagining Mediterranean Cuisine with Shio Koji” held at the Copia’s premiere Wood Stone outdoor live fire kitchen.
The 250-seat Ecolab Theater with a 22-feet demo kitchen/stage filled beyond capacity for General Sessions, titled, “Flavors in Translation: Navigation Old Worlds, New Ideas,” “Eat the World: From Mediterranean Gastronomy to American Menus,” “Cultural Roots, Culinary Reach: Mediterranean Global Flavors Driving U.S. Menu Innovation,” and others.
The daily seminars explored the roots of umami, fermenting meats and vegetables with koji, food pairings with Catalonian wines, versatility and nutritional value of extra virgin olive oil from Spain, the role of tofu in reimagining Mediterranean flavors, bitter flavors of Sicily and Sardinia, and similarly fascinating topics.
Kitchen Demonstration Workshop Series provided the conference participants with hands-on instructions on using various techniques in sauce making, in reinterpreting ancestral recipes, in live fire cooking, in using dates that successfully grow in California as well as in the Mediterranean in sweet and savory recipes, etc. etc.
And then there were World Marketplace Tastings where the sessions’ and seminars’ speakers and presenters—leading chefs from different corners of the world—treated their colleagues and conference participants to their signature dishes they usually serve in their acclaimed restaurants.
Since 1998, Worlds of Flavor has attracted chefs, foodservice operators, industry leaders, and sponsors from around the globe with content they just can’t get anywhere else. As Jennifer Breckner, director of programs and special projects at Culinary Institute of America put it, “Worlds of Flavor is educational, inspirational, and energizing… The attendees get to engage with some of the world’s most important and innovative chefs and food experts… Mediterranean cultures are some of the oldest in the world and whether you are a culinary lead in a K-12 operation, an independent caterer, or work in high volume foodservice, there is still more to learn about the depth and diversity of Mediterranean cuisines and cooking.”
This 28th annual Worlds of Flavor, “Asia on our Menus: East by Southeast” is scheduled for November 4-6, 2026. Find out more at https://www.worldsofflavor.com/.
With unusually temperate and rainy winter in Northern California, the “Best Mushroom Year in Recent Memory” became a headline for Big Sur Foragers Festival 2026, traditionallybenefiting the community’s non-profit Big Sur Health Center, which provides healthcare services for the local population.
Held on the fourth weekend in January, the festival coincides with the regional peak in mushroom season, which in colder climates falls on late summer/early fall months. Among the many educational and culinary happenings of the three-day event there were forest walks with mushroom experts, foraging expeditions, fresh mushrooms exhibits, dried mushroom sales, mushroom books displays, and an epitome of the festivities—Fungus Face-off, a 21+ culinary extravaganza where the best area restaurants and wineries were treating the public to their products, and competing with each other for the People’s Choice award.
Fungus Face-off was held at the boutique hotel, Big Sur Lodge (https://bigsurlodge.com/) nestled under the towering redwoods of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park along Highway One—California’s legendary ocean side road with breathtaking views along the way. The culinary gala attendees, whose number has been limited to 200, entered the cozy hotel lobby to take part in a silent auction benefiting the Health Center, and featuring more than 30 prizes, like Paella party with Chef Brandon Miller of Paella LLC; San Francisco Staycation and Golden State Experience; Monterey Bay Fishing and Wine Experience, and others.
Then a lavish tasting of Monterey County wines, beers, and food creations, featuring locally foraged mushrooms prepared by the top regional chefs, unfolded in a spacious indoor-outdoor facility, filled with sunlight and pure joy. The participating restaurants surprised their fans with innovative and interesting dishes, like Golden Fried Oyster Mushrooms Bites over Cheesy Polenta by Terry’s Restaurant + Lounge at Cypress Inn—a winner of the People’s Choice!
Chefs from Big Sur Lodge, Café Carmel, Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn, Fernwood, Julia’s Vegetarian Restaurant, The Pocket, Wild Plum Café, and Woody’s presented porcini, chanterelle, portabella, candy cap, and many other kinds of mushrooms in a variety of dishes from soups and sandwiches to meat courses and desserts.
Wines, brews, cocktail bitters and non-alcoholic drinks were poured by Wrath, Morgan, El Vaquero, Flywheel, Scheid, Joyce Wine Company, The Bitter Ginger, Martha’s Hopyard and others.
The Big Sur Foragers Festival acknowledged and thanked its sponsors and volunteers as follows, “Big Sur Lodge, our host venue, for not only providing a beautiful home for the festival but also for generously offering accommodations for our hike leaders and mushroom experts; Lisa Haas, who coordinates the festival’s hikes and mushroom education; King of Mushrooms, our mushroom sponsor, for supporting both the educational and community mission of the festival; Paul Amend, Committee Chair and Lead Volunteer Coordinator, whose leadership and dedication keep this festival running smoothly from start to finish; and sponsor law firm Fenton & Keller whose generosity and community commitment made this event such a meaningful success. This event is a true reflection of community collaboration, stewardship, and shared curiosity — and we are thankful for everyone who helps bring it to life.”
After the event, the winners of the Fungus Face Off were announced. Besides the abovementioned Terry’s Restaurant + Lounge, People’s Choice winner, Wild Plum Café was awarded for the Best Use of Foraged Ingredients in its Wild mushroom medley with garlic over polenta; Big Sur River Inn was named Most Creative for Chanterelle tamale with mushroom mole, and Deetjen’s was Best Overall for Short ribs with enoki mushrooms, porcini, pickled onion, micro cilantro and cheesy polenta.
Big Sur Foragers Festival dates for January 2027 haven’t been announced yet, but you can find out more at www.bigsurforagersfestival.org.
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